Crossing for street-railways.



PATENTED DEC. 27, 1904.

H. M. GLEASCJN.

CROSSING FOR STREET RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30, 1904.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

UNITED STATES Patented December 27, 1904.

PATENT QEETCE.

CROSSING FOR STREET-RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 778,655 dated December27, 1904:.

Application filed April 30, 1904. Serial No. 205,648.

To a whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY M. GLEAsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Crossing forStreet-Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in crossings for street-railways,my object being to provide a crossing which shall give the car-wheels anunbroken passage thereover, thereby relieving the wear and tear upon therailway-cars due to jar or shock received when the wheels pass over thetransverse groove of the crossing of the present type and also toprevent the wear and tear upon the rails due to the same construction.

My invention comprises means for utilizing a single groove memberoperating between the abutting ends of grooved transverse rails.

My invention further comprises automatic means operated by the wheel ofthe approaching car for shifting said grooved member, so that the grooveshall be in alinement with the grooves of the abutting rails in thedirection of travel of the car.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of portionsof two rails, one lying in a line transverse the direction of the other,showing my improved mechanism. Fig. 1is a detail of the mechanismconnected with the grooved member on line 1 1 of Fig. a. Fig. 2 is anelevation of a portion of the rail, showing a pivoted cam and bell-crankand connecting-rods operated thereby, a portion of the flange beingbroken away to show the mechanism. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section online 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical crosssection on line 4t 4; ofFig. 1. Fig. 5 is an under view in the nature of a diagrammatic view,indicating the arrangements of bell-cranks and connecting-rods at thecrossing.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The usual construction of rails for streetrailways is such that the topsurface of the rail is approximately flush with the road-bed, and thereis provided in said top surface a groove for receiving the flange of thecarwheels. At the crossing or intersection of said rails the abuttingends are usually secured by a metallic casting or member, such as isshown in Fig. 1, which continues the slots between said abutting ends,so that said slots cross each other at the middle. The result of thisconstruction is that the carwheel passing across this member receives ajar in passing over the transverse slot. In other words, the rim ortread part of the car-wheel bumps into the transverse slot as it passesthe line of each transverse rail, so that there is a distinct bump orjar given to the car for each rail crossed multiplied by the number ofwheels on the side of the car.

The purpose of my invention is to provide means whereby a solidcontinuous tread shall be presented to the car-wheels as they pass saidcrossing, thereby obviating the jar referred to and the damage, both tothe car and rails, which necessarily results therefrom.

In Fig. 1, 1 and 2 represent the abutting ends of rails lying in thesame direction, while 3 and 4 represent the abutting ends of rails lyingin the same direction, but transverse to the direction of rails 1 and 2.

5 represents the metallic casting or member securing the abutting endsof rails 1, 2, 3, and a in place. In the middle of casting or memher 5 Iprovide the circular table 6, having a centrally-located stem projectingdownwardly therefrom, said table 6 being seated in a recessed portion ofthe member 5, so that the surface of the table shall be substantiallyflush with the surface of member 5. This table is adapted to have a freelimited rotation with respect to member 5, the slot and projection 7 and8 being provided as ameansltolimit said rotative movement. Similar stopmeans may be provided in connection with any of the parts havingoperative connection with the member 6 with similar results. In theupper surface of table 6 is provided the groove 9, having approximatelythe same cross-section dimensions as the grooves 10 in the rails 1, 2,3, and 4, so that when the plate member 6 is in the position shown inFig. 1 the groove 9 will be in alinement and form a continuation of thegrooves 10 of rails 1 and 2. In this position the margins of said groove9 will consequently be flush with the surface of memher 5 and also inalinement with the margins of groove 10 in rails 1 and 2, whereby isformed a smooth and continuous tread for the ear-wheel from one rail tothe other. It is obvious that when member 6 is turned through an arc ofninety degrees in case the transverse rails are at right angles witheach other, as shown in the drawings, the groove 9 will similarly be inalinement with grooves 10 of rails 3 and 1. It will of coursebeunderstood that where the transverse rails for an angle less than ninetydegrees a correspondingly less movement will be provided for.

In order that the grooved member 6 shall be made to assume the positionnecessary to bring the groove 9 into alinement with the grooves 10 ofthe rail upon which the car is traveling as it approaches said crossing.I provide the following mechanism: Upon the web of rail 4: is pivotallymounted at 11 the cam member 12, which projects upwardly through theslot 10 of rail. 1, having its upper surface substantially flush withthe upper surface of rail 1. The free end of cam member 12 is connectedby the member 13 to one free end of bellcrank 14, which is pivotallymounted at 15 on the web of rail 4c. The other free end of bellcrank 14:is connected by the connecting-rod 16 to the bifurcated crank member 17,which is rotatably rigid with the stem 18 of member 6. It is usuallypreferable to include a spring or resilient element in the mechanismconnecting the cam 12 with slot member 6 to allow for lost motion. Forexample, a coilspring 20 may be provided in connecting-rod 16, as shownin Fig. 2, the proportions of said various members being such that thedepression of cam member 12 by the engagement therewith of the flange 19of the car-wheel as it runs along the groove 10 of track L shall causethe rotation of plate 6 through such an are as may be necessary to bringthe groove 9 from the position shown in Fig. 1 into alinement with thegrooves 10 of rails 3 and 4. To the stem 18 of member 6 is also secureda second crank member 21 below the crank member 1'7 and approximately atright angles therewith. This crank member 21 is secured bytheconnecting-rod 22 with a similar crank member on a corresponding stemof the rotatable grooved plate member 6, so that the actuation of 6 inthe manner above described also results in the actuation of 6. Thecontinuation 16 of connecting-rod 16 to a similar crank member 17 willresult in a similar movement of plate member 6 It must now be obvious toany one skilled in the art that similar crank and connecting-rodconnections between 6 and 6 and 6 and 6 will result in the simultaneoussimilar movement of all four plate members 6, 6, 6", and 6 upon theactuation of any one of them.

\Vhile the mechanism illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 is adapted to actuatethe plate members to accommodate the car approaching in the direction ofthe arrow on rails 4c and 1, a similar cam device may be attached torail 1 to cause the plates to be rotated to accommodate a carapproaching in the direction of the arrow on rails 1 and 1, and so onfrom any of the four directions toward the crossing.

hat I claim is 1. A rotatable groove member operating be.- tween theends of abutting grooved rails, a cam journaled to the web of said railand projeeting through the groove thereof and operative mechanismconnected between the cam and rotatable member for transmitting theactuation of said cam to said member.

2. A rotatable groove member operating between the ends of abuttinggrooved rails, a cam journaled to the web of said rail and projectingthrough the groove thereof and operative mechanism including a resilientelement connected between the cam and rotatable member for transmittingthe actuation of said cam to said member.

3. A pivoted oscillating groove member between the ends of abuttinggrooved transverse rails, a cam pivotally mounted on the web of one ofsaid rails and projecting through the groove of said rail and crank andconnectingrod means for communicating movement from the cam to theoscillating member.

4. A pivoted oscillating groove member between the ends of abuttinggrooved transverse rails, a cam pivotally mounted on the web of one ofsaid rails and projecting through the groove of said rail, crank andeonnecting-rod means for communicating movement from the cam to theoscillating member, and means for limiting the range of movement of saidoscillating member.

5. A pivoted oscillating groove member between the ends of abuttinggrooved transverse rails, a cam pivotally mounted on the web of one ofsaid rails and projecting through the groove of said rail, crank andconnecting-rod means for communicating movement from the cam to theoscillating member, and a spring element included in said cam andconnectingrod means for permitting lost motion.

HENRY M. GLEASON.

Witnesses:

\VILLIAM E. CHAPMAN, MAE HOFMANN.

